That'll work!
Texas bill that introduces $200 fee on EVs to fund roads just passed
- Thread starter ProbeGT
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There is no fair. @UncleDave is just being logical again. I hate it when that happens. It will never work.
Many state has inspection / emission test already. Annual mileage or bi-annual mileage is already not something you can keep private, heck even if you want to your insurance companies pretty much mandate it.
I really can't argue it. The only fair way really is to use the same billing system for both. It won't be comparable without variables otherwise. We just need a way to declare mileage instead of track mileage as it would be a lot harder to track the older the vehicle is.
I've stated it at least twice. Go back and find my comments in the thread.
I just got a notice from the Pa. Department of Transportation last month that they have changed my registration from passenger car to hybrid for my Prius. So I guess Pa. with the second highest gasoline taxes in the country is planning on adding fees to the hybrids in the future.
OVERKILL
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If you have a smart meter, there's definitely a way to integrate tracking EV charging.
I don't think the conspiracy lunatics in this state will ever go for the big bad government monitoring the smart meters in people's houses.
Someone else mentioned reporting mileage at yearly state inspection time, not the worst idea ever but you're reliant on third parties for reporting. I see that being widely abused for a little money under the table.
The flat fee is a solid idea.
Considering the consequences involved the abuse will not be wide spread with inspection reporting. And it will be fair, unlike a flat fee which is absolutely unfair.
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FWIW, I do my best to not get gas in PA unless it is either absolutely necessary in some kind of emergency, or planning is just that off. Thought it was the highest gas tax; second highest? Well.. okay. Usually I can gas up at T/A in Columbia NJ (exit 4 on Rt 80) and drive clean through to Love's Truck Stop in Ohio. Usually. The idea behind this is lowest cost.. both Ohio and NJ have lower gas prices than PA, Ohio probably being slightly less.
I believe the lowest possible taxes and only when necessary are the way. I know, I know.. I'm old-school.
And, hmm, I am still one of those that thinks the adoption of EV will be far, far less than some predict, will get reigned in "shortly" and back to reality "soon," and while EV is an ideal choice for some, infrastructure is just not there to support it the way it is envisioned, may not ever be, and may well have already reached or neared its saturation point. Therefore, can the small percentage ratio of EV to ICE (and the dying Diesel although that is necessary as well) be a disruptor to the system already in place?
I don't think higher taxes are the way to go. And in Texas, of all places.
OVERKILL
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Which is hilarious, given how "connected" everything else is nowadays.
Makes sense but would never happen because it would "hurt American jobs" being that domestics historically can't compete in the small car market. The flag wavers would then demand an exemption.
Maybe they should learn to make a small car. I don't think it's that they build better big vehicles, it's just that the bigger vehicle gives other attributes that masks poor engineering in a way that the poor engineering is accepted. People that think small cars are bad haven't driven a good small car.
I think it's a matter of the cost per FTE. IMO it's why for example BMW builds SUV's in Greer SC and the 2/3 series in Mexico.
Christ, I see this crap is in America as well. This nonsense has been debunked so many times it’s just boring now…
This whole idea is regressive and short sighted. For a start, roads are not jsut funded by fuel taxes - income taxes are jn there too and an EV doesn’t excuse you from those!
The fuel taxes can also be argued to cover the other negative consequences of using ICE beyond road wear and tear - such as health funding (Americans can tune out for this bit…) and social services to support the death, illness and lost productivity from air pollution. EVs have a positive effect on the economy by not having tail pipe emissions and that is not being accounted for with these “taxes”.
It’s a dumb idea.
The fuel taxes can also be argued to cover the other negative consequences of using ICE beyond road wear and tear - such as health funding (Americans can tune out for this bit…) and social services to support the death, illness and lost productivity from air pollution. EVs have a positive effect on the economy by not having tail pipe emissions and that is not being accounted for with these “taxes”.
It’s a dumb idea.
Actually it pays negative gas taxes because the per mile deduction is far and away more than the gas tax paid.
The groups who have evaluated these “fees” is that the upgrade costs to DMV/DOT to implement the law and identify the cars usually is equal to about 10 years of collections due to the small number of EVs on the road.
Compliance on fees drives enforcement and legal costs, my Uncle didn’t pay tax title, license or insurance for at least a decade, fees are always optional.
It’s also worth noting I pay about 33% of my electric bill to “municipal substation taxes” along with various other taxes on my cars. Whether you think you are paying substation taxes or not, you are, guaranteed in all 50 states.
To say EVs don’t pay taxes is disingenuous, fair share is bs as long as taxis, concrete, sand haulers, farm damage pay nothing and semis get to write off fuel tax.
I always thought Texas was anti tax but apparently anyone who supports a law such as this must be far more liberal than I am.
Fees are the least efficient way to tax and regressive, best to follow Montanas example from years ago and allow private citizens to buy “permanent “ plates that are bought once and never expire, eliminate “mandatory insurance “ requirements off citizens with a good record.
Taxes for roads should come from the general funds as is already done.
Texas only gets about 10% of road funding from fees, most comes from federal kickbacks and general funds, not road taxes.
Most states loose half of fees collected to overhead, if you want to double your taxes insist on fees, gas tax is over 98% efficient and is one of the only modern miracles in taxation.
EVs loose the state nothing in taxes as most drive decades of additional “road tax” in the form of sales tax into the cougher. If a state has road funding problems it certainly doesn’t mean we need to make up additional types of taxes, just use the existing types of taxes on the book.
Many have argued rightly that charging fees to individuals is a waste of time and I would agree as most of the cash goes into the dumpster or toward legal action.
America ( and to a lesser but still significant extent here in Australia) has gone down the road of car dependency urban design and massive road infrastructure “needs” entirely at the behest of oil and auto corporations.
It’s now so embedded into society that people think having to use a car to go anywhere and having no public transport options is normal! Pretty ****ty situation…
But EVs represent a little bit of a shift. They don’t cure traffic and they don’t support better urban design or public transport, but they do cut the oil companies out. And they were never going to take that lying down.
So just as governments did the bidding of oil and car corporations in dismantling public transport and walkable neighbourhoods, so too they now “fight back” against the loss of revenue from EVs not buying fuel. This was never about road maintenance.
It’s now so embedded into society that people think having to use a car to go anywhere and having no public transport options is normal! Pretty ****ty situation…
But EVs represent a little bit of a shift. They don’t cure traffic and they don’t support better urban design or public transport, but they do cut the oil companies out. And they were never going to take that lying down.
So just as governments did the bidding of oil and car corporations in dismantling public transport and walkable neighbourhoods, so too they now “fight back” against the loss of revenue from EVs not buying fuel. This was never about road maintenance.
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And the roads will still be in awful condition
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